The Mayor Councillor John Boyle pictured with Kevin O’Connor DCSDC and Annemarie McLaughlin ERNACT at the launch of the of the Digital Cities Challenge. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com.
Earlier this year Derry was selected by the European Union to participate in the Digital Cities Challenge, a digital transformation initiative aimed at helping cities implement digital policies and Smart City initiatives to transform day-to-day life for residents, businesses, workers and entrepreneurs.
A series of drop-in events and engagements have taken place over the summer to get businesses and stakeholders to sign up to it and to fill out a questionnaire on their digital offering.
The sessions were well attended and response from the business community to get involved in the Challenge has been very promising.
The next stage of the process is to identify the current level of digital provision in the city that will help the Council to develop and implement digital policies that will make the city more digitally innovative and productive.
To assist with this process, businesses and stakeholders are being asked to attend a workshop that has been organised, at the Catalyst Inc., on Wednesday next 12 September at 9.30am.
Encouraging participation in the workshop, Anne Marie McLaughlin, Project Manager with ERNACT (European Regions Network for the Application of Communications Technology), said the workshop is important in helping to determine the current level of digital provision across a number of dimensions of digital development including governance and leadership, finance, digital infrastructure and skillset.
“We are really keen to get our stakeholders involved in this project and to come along to the workshop next week. The Digital Cities Challenge is a really positive project for the city and district and has the potential to make real and lasting change for all of us.
“Everyone has a part to play and we are delighted with the response to date and look forward to the next stage of the process where we will be looking in depth at our digital provision and identifying the best way forward to ensure we get the most out of this project,” she said.
Louise Breslin, Business Development Manager with Derry City and Strabane District Council said among those invited to register for the workshop are start-up companies, tech companies in need of digitalisation, educational and research facilities, telco providers and financial institutions.
She added the Digital Cities Challenge is very much in keeping with the objectives set out in the Strategic Growth Plan to boost productivity and create growth, as well as nurture and attract digital talents and entrepreneurs.
“We believe this Challenge provides us with high level policy advice and coaching to assist us put advanced technology at the service of citizens by shaping the vision and ambition for the development of our Digital Action Plan for the city.
“We are therefore hoping that next week’s workshop will go some way towards helping us achieve that,” she commented.
For those interested in registering for the workshop you can register your attendance via the following link – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/digital-cities-tickets-49469590878
If you want to find out more about the Digital Cities Challenge contact [email protected] for more information or alternatively log on to www.digitallytransformyourregion.eu
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